Method for ensuring that a section block of a railway section is free of the last unit of a train

ABSTRACT

A method for ensuring that a section block of a railway section is free of the last unit of a train, wherein each train travelling into the section block is equipped with at least one train terminal (OTU—On Train Unit) at the end of the train, defined by the direction of travel of the train, which OTU is used for the periodic position detection of the train. The method comprises storing at least one polygon, which is defined by a plurality of geo-data, for each section block is stored in the OTU, registering the respectively traveled polygon at least once by the OTU by means of Global Navigation Satellite System, and sending the identification of the respectively traveled polygon with the OTU at least once to an electronic data processing system for evaluation.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a national phase entry under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of PCT/EP2018/075476 filed Sep. 20, 2018, which claims priority to Swiss Patent Application No. 01163/17 filed Sep. 21, 2017, the entirety of each of which is incorporated by this reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a method for ensuring that a section block of a railway section is free of the last unit of a train.

PRIOR ART

The prior art discloses security measures that verify the completeness or integrity of a train. An old security measure is that the dispatcher checks with a naked eye when a train is leaving the station that there is a train end signal at the end of the train.

Automatic axle counting devices are widespread, which count the number of axles when entering a station or a section block (counting the axles up). The axle counting devices are electronic components with sensors. When leaving the station or the section block, another axle counting device counts down the number of axles (counting the axles down). When the axle counting device counts down to 0, the train is complete. Axle counting devices are expensive to purchase and to maintain. It is also known that they can have functional problems at high temperatures.

A wide variety of measures are known to secure the movement of trains. To avoid a collision of trains that follow one another or come towards each other, driving at a fixed special distance was introduced. To this end, the sections are divided into section blocks by signals. There can only be one train in a section block. This is achieved in that the trains are led or guided by the signal positioned at a transition from a first section block to a second section block. The next train is only allowed to enter this section block once a section block has been cleared. Ensuring that the section block is cleared is achieved with the axle counting devices described above. Only when the axle counting device has counted down to 0, i.e., all axles counted up can also be counted down, is the section block released.

WO 03/013935 A1 describes a method that checks the completeness of a train (train integrity), and confirms or reports the absence of train integrity. For this purpose, the coordinates of a selected spot on the track of the train route are collected by GPS. The coordinates of the spot on the track are collected by a GPS, which is positioned on the front of the train. When the spot on the track is selected, the front of the train is at this spot. The coordinates of the spot on the track are saved. When the coordinates at the end of the train match the coordinates of the spot on the track, the end of the train has passed the spot on the track. The coordinates for the spot on the track can also be retrieved from a database on the train.

The described method is susceptible to errors because it checks the matching of GPS point coordinates. The error for the deviation of the spot on the track from the end point of the train can be due not only because of the fact that the train is no longer complete, but also in an inaccuracy or a failure of one of the GPS coordinates. Another disadvantage of the method is that the GPS coordinates of the end of the train have to be checked until they match the track coordinates. It is also not possible with the method to determine which of the traveled section blocks of a railway section is currently occupied by the train.

Advantages of the Invention

The disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by a method for train protection that can ensure completeness of the train with little investment.

In addition, the proposed method of train protection is be able to supplement or replace existing security procedures, wherein the necessary infrastructure investments is be as low as possible. For example, the method enables trains to travel at a fixed special distance from one another.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the following description, the individual terms used are defined as follows:

Polygon=geofence=virtual area above the two tracks (rails) of a track body stored in the OTU

ID=unique identification

Polygon ID data=geo-data, block ID and track ID

Track ID=track number

OTU=On Train Unit

GNSS=Global Navigation Satellite System

Electronic data processing system=electronic data processing of the OTUs

Railway electronic data processing=electronic data, processing of the railway operator

Locomotive OTU=OTU at the locomotive driver's compartment

Car OTU=OTU at the end of the last car

Section block ID=defined track section on a defined railway section

POI=Point of Interest=point-like geo-object

The solution is achieved in a method for ensuring that a section block of a railway section is free of the last unit of a train by,

storing at least one polygon, which is defined by a plurality of geo-data, for each section block in the OTU,

registering the respective traveled polygon by the OTU at least once by means of GNSS if the position of the OTU is within the polygon (23, 25) and

the OTU sending the identification of the respective traveled polygon at least once to an electronic data processing system for evaluation.

The method has the advantage over the prior art that it does not require the expensive and error-prone axle counting devices and other train length control systems. The method shows with the highest certainty that a first section block is free of the last unit of a train, which is equipped with the OTU. This is due to the logic of the method. Only when a second section block adjoining the first section block is registered, is the first section block released. If the OTU fails after the registration of the first section block is canceled, then it remains in the first section block due to the stored logic, since the second section block is no longer registered.

Apart from the inexpensive OTU, there is no need for further infrastructure investments. Since the method is implemented exclusively by an electronic data processing component, existing railway system components are not affected. This makes it possible to inexpensively supplement existing safety procedures to increase redundancy. Also, it is possible to equip railway sections that do not have a safety procedure whether a section block is free of the last unit of a train, with the method according to the invention.

In addition, risks of rear impact collisions or crashes due to human error can be detected by the method.

In terms of data, the OTU (car OTU) replaces the train end signal, which means that the OTU can also be registered as a train end signal in the electronic data processing system.

In one embodiment of the invention, the evaluation of the identification includes the time and the order of the traveled polygons and the time when the OTU moves from one section block to an adjacent section block. This allows to detect in real time which section block is currently occupied and which section blocks are currently free.

The identification of the respective polygon includes geo-data, the identification of the corresponding section block and the respective track identification. The polygon-ID makes it possible that the position of the last unit of a train can be assigned unambiguously to a particular section block and mix-ups do not occur.

A polygon is expediently stored in the OTU for each section block at both ends of the section block. As a result, the section block can be reported as free as early as possible, since the distance between the adjacent polygons of two neighboring section blocks is as small as possible.

Advantageously, a plurality of adjoining polygons is stored in the OTU over the entire length of the section block. In this variant, an uninterrupted polygon ID report takes place within the section block. This results in high security because the OTU can be detected in real time at almost any time.

The distance between a first polygon which is stored at the end of a first section block, and a second polygon adjacent to the first polygon, which second polygon is stored at the end of a second section block facing the first section block corresponds to the maximum braking distance of the train. This distance selection of adjacent polygons of two section blocks ensures that a train that is stopped by a train signal, due to its braking distance, does not get into the second polygon. Because in this case the second polygon is certainly not reached by the OTU, the logic of the method guarantees that the first section block is not released. This is even true if the OTU leaves the first polygon as long as it does not reach the second polygon.

It has proven to be useful if the train at its front, defined by the direction of travel, is equipped with another OTU (locomotive OTU) and if the direction of travel changes, the further OTU is recognized by the electronic data processing system as the OTU at the end of the train. This means that even if the train changes direction, the last unit of the train is always equipped with an OTU. A manual change of an OTU from the front of the train to the end of the train, which can lead to errors or forgetting the change, is therefore not necessary.

In addition to the identification, the OTU expediently sends the polygon identification, the direction of travel of the train and the status of the power supply to the electronic data processing system. Other data that are stored and recorded in the OTU and can be sent to the electronic data processing system are the OTU ID, the date, the time, the speed, the direction, the data from the G sensor, the number of satellites, a meter counter of the distance covered, the radio provider ID and the status of the OTU.

It proves to be advantageous if, for a given clocking of the position determination, the OTU determines the minimum length of the polygon by the maximum speed of the train and the maximum length of the polygon is defined by the length of the section block for which the polygon is stored in the OTU. If, for example, the OTU calculates its own position every second, the polygon length must be greater than 100 m if the train is traveling at 360 km/and is to be registered in the polygon.

The width of a first polygon corresponds at least to the maximum width of the train and, in the case of a multi-track railway section, the width of the first polygon is dimensioned in such a way that the first polygon is free of overlaps from further third polygons which are stored in the OTU for further tracks. Specifying the width of the first polygon in the area claimed above makes it possible that the position of the OTU is certainly within the first polygon, since the positional accuracy is less than one meter and a train is always wider than one meter. Because polygons of adjacent tracks do not overlap, it is impossible to mix up polygons or section blocks assigned to the polygons.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, the identification of a polygon leads to the fact that the second section block assigned to the second polygon is reported by the electronic data processing system as being occupied or blocked, and the first section block previously traveled by the train is reported as free by the electronic data processing system. As already described above, this logic of the method means that a section block is only reported to be free if another section block has been identified by the fact that the OTU position is located within a polygon that is assigned to the other section block. If the OTU is located between section blocks, a section block that has been left will not be released.

The train integrity is expediently determined by the fact that the OTU has switched from one section block to another. If there is a separation of the last unit from the front of the train, the OTU does not reach a polygon which is assigned to the other section block. If the last unit together with the OTU should continue to roll, the section block is only released when the last unit reaches a polygon that is assigned to the other section block. If the last unit comes to a stop before the other section block, the further section block is no longer released.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the OTU and the further OTU are synchronized by the electronic data processing system in order to calculate a distance between the two OTUs in the electronic data processing system and to send a change in the distance between the two OTUs, for example, caused by a coupling breakage of the train, to the train's electronic data processing system. This makes it easy to determine the completeness of the train at any time, in addition to detecting within which polygons the OTU of the last unit is located.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the start and the end of an area of a section block at which the GNSS reception of the OTU is not sufficient is stored in the OTU with a start polygon or an end polygon and the area is considered as passed through when the polygon identification of the end polygon is received by the OTU via the electronic data processing system. Areas with poor or no GNSS reception can be tunnels or canyons. The above features ensure that a tunnel or canyon is only released when the last unit of the train has passed through this area and the OTU is located within the end polygon and has been identified there.

It is useful if the car identifications of the individual cars of a train are transferred to the OTU in order to be able to send the position and time of the individual cars to the electronic data processing system. Thus, the present method offers the additional benefit that not only the last unit of the train can be monitored, but all the cars can be included in the electronic data processing system. In order to do so, no further hardware components are necessary as the OTU can be used for the management of the car identifications. The car identification can be scanned in with a text recognition program (OCR) and transmitted wirelessly, for example using WLAN, to the OTU.

The car identifications are expediently linked to the freight documents of the respective car. This means that every freight document can be located at any time up to the destination station.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the polygons stored in the OTU contain information on the position of railway signals, and the position of the railway signals can be visualized in the driver's compartment of the train. As a result, the train driver is informed sufficiently early about approaching train signals, even if the view is impaired, for example by fog and snowfall. It is conceivable that the distance to the approaching railway signal is visualized by a dynamic display. For example, a bar on a display can become shorter and shorter until the railway signal is passed.

Both the electronic data processing system as well as the OTU (car OTU) and the other OTU (locomotive OTU) have satellite radio. If the terrestrial radio connections fail, the OTU and the other OTU can therefore establish a radio connection via satellite reception. If the terrestrial radio connections fail, the OTU sends an alarm to be confirmed by the train driver, and the OTU initiates braking of the train if the train driver does not confirm. The OTU is connected to the train's braking system in such a way that the OTU can trigger train braking. This is to ensure that in case of failure of terrestrial radio systems and a bridged dead man's switch in the driver's compartment an emergency braking can be initiated by the OTU.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the OTU is connected to the train's braking system in such a way that if the terrestrial radio connections fail, the OTU can establish a radio connection via satellite reception.

The OTU expediently sends an alarm to be confirmed by the train driver if the terrestrial radio connections fail, and the OTU initiates an emergency braking of the train if the train driver does not confirm.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further advantages and features result from the following description of an exemplary embodiment of the invention with reference to the schematic representations. In a representation that is not to scale:

FIG. 1 shows a first method diagram of a method for ensuring that a section block of a railway section is free of the last unit of a train;

FIG. 2 shows a supplementary illustration of the method diagram from FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a track with an illustration of different polygon variants;

FIG. 4 shows a plan view of a two-track railway section with polygons overlaid on the tracks, and

FIG. 5 shows a method diagram that defines the distance between a first and second polygon through the braking distance of the train.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1 and 2 show the functional diagram of the method. Existing railway sections or tracks 27 are divided into section blocks as standard, a rail signal 15 being positioned at the transition from a first line block 11 to the neighboring second section block 13. Railway signal 15 releases second section block 13 or blocks it. In the case of a multi-track railway section, each track is divided into a plurality of section blocks. There are therefore no section blocks that extend simultaneously over side by side tracks.

Over each section block there is an imaginary boundary which is referred to as a geofence or as a polygon. In the context of the present patent application, a polygon shall be understood to mean a virtual surface which is placed at least over part of a section block, so that a part of the section block lies within the polygon. The polygon is defined by a plurality of geo-data. The geo-data describes the periphery of a closed polygon. It is also conceivable that the polygon extends over the entire section block.

A polygon is uniquely identified (ID) using the following polygon ID data: the geo-data, the section block ID and the track ID. Here, each section block and each track is uniquely identified, for example, by a number or a letter.

A train 17 is equipped at its end with a train end device. The train end device is therefore carried along at the train end 19 and is referred to as OTU (On-Train Unit) 21. Train end 19 is defined by its direction of travel. The train end thus passes as the last part of the train 17 a spot on a section. Train end 19 corresponds to last unit 19 of train 17. Last unit 19 can be a car, a locomotive, a railcar or a control car, depending on the direction in which the train 17 is moving and how it is composed.

OTU 21 is equipped with a memory and a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System). OTU 21 can be powered by a battery or an external power supply. At least all the polygons of the route to be traveled or the section blocks which will be passed are stored in the memory.

OTU 21 registers the polygon currently being traveled one or more times by means of GNSS. Once the corresponding polygon has been assigned to the position of OTU 21, the polygon ID is sent via radio to an electronic data processing system for evaluation. The polygon ID can be sent at the same time or after the assignment of the polygon. The evaluation of the polygon IDs makes it possible to determine with a high degree of certainty when and in what order which polygons were traveled on and when OTU 21 switched over from first section block 11 to the second section block. By real-time detection of the polygon in which OTU 21 is located, it is inevitably known which section block is occupied and which section blocks are free. FIGS. 1 and 2 show a first polygon 23 and a second polygon 25. First polygon 23 is assigned to first section block 11, and second polygon 25 is assigned to second section block 13.

If, as shown in FIG. 2, a coupling breakage occurs on one of the car couplings of train 17, the OTU does not arrive in the area of second polygon 25. Therefore, the first section block 11 is not released.

Without the use of axle counting devices the present method makes it possible to ensure that first section block 11 is free of last unit 19 of train 17.

POIs (Points of Interest) are point coordinates on a digital map and are generally used for navigation or to approach a destination such as a pharmacy, museum etc. On single-track railway sections, POIs are suitable for determining that a defined POI has been crossed. In the case of multi-track railroad bodies, it cannot be determined in a system-independent manner on which track or on which section block a train is moving, is or was located. POIs are therefore unsuitable for determining whether a section block of a railway section is free.

FIG. 3 shows three different variants of how polygons can be stored in OTU 21 per one section block.

In variant A, one polygon 23 is stored per section block. The data traffic in this variant is less than in variants B and C. In comparison to variants B and C, however, there is a loss of time until the release report of section block 25 and there is no position report between polygons of the neighboring section blocks.

In variant B, one polygon 23 a, 23 b at the two ends of the section block is stored in the OTU 21. The section block is reported as free as early as possible since the distance between adjacent polygons 23 and 25 of section blocks 11 and 13 is as small as possible. There is no position report between polygons 23 a and 23 b.

In variant C, a polygon chain along the entire length of section block 11 is stored in OTU 19. In this variant, there is an uninterrupted polygon ID report within section block 11. All three variants are independent of the direction of travel, since the reporting of the polygon ID is independent of the direction of travel from which polygon 23 is detected.

FIG. 4 shows a multi-track railway section with a first track 27 and a second track 29 running next to it. A track section of first and second tracks 27, 29 is defined as the first and third section blocks 11 and 14. First and third polygons 23, 26 are stored in OTU 21 for first and third section blocks 11, 14. The width of first and third polygons 23, 26 is dimensioned such that they do not overlap. This ensures that only first polygon 23, and not third polygon 26, can be assigned to first section block 11. On the other hand, first and third polygons 23, 26 must not be dimensioned too narrow, so that the GNSS position of OTU 21 is reliably within the respective polygon. Therefore, it is expedient if the polygon width is at least the maximum width of train 17.

FIG. 5 shows a distance 31 between first polygon 23 and second polygon 25, which corresponds to the maximum braking distance of the train, calculated from the maximum speed of the train with which it travels in first section block 11. Distance 31 ensures that OTU 21 does not come to lie within second polygon 25 when the train is forced to stop by the railway signal 15 between two section blocks 11, 13. The provision of distance 31 therefore prevents train end 19 with OTU 21 from “slipping” into second polygon 25 during a braking maneuver at railway signal 15, and the first section block 11 is thereby erroneously released. 

1-17. (canceled)
 18. A method for ensuring that a section block of a railway section is free of a last unit of a train, comprising: equipping each train travelling into the section block with at least one train terminal (OTU—On Train Unit) at an end of the train defined by a direction of travel of the train; using the OTU for a periodic position detection of the train; storing at least one polygon, which is defined by a plurality of geo-data, for each section block in the OUT; registering a respectively traveled polygon at least once by the OTU by Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) if the position of the OTU is within the polygon; and using the OTU to send an identification of the respectively traveled polygon at least once to an electronic data processing system for evaluation.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the evaluation of the identification includes a time and an order of traveled polygons and a time when the OTU moves from one section block to an adjacent section block.
 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the identification of the respective polygon includes geo-data, the identification of the respective section block and the respective track identification.
 21. The method of claim 18, further comprising storing a polygon in the OTU for each section block at both ends of the section block.
 22. The method of claim 18, further comprising storing a plurality of adjoining polygons in the OTU over the entire length of the section block.
 23. The method of claim 18, wherein the distance between a first polygon which is stored at the end of a first section block, and a second polygon adjacent to the first polygon, which second polygon is stored at the end of a second section block facing the first section block, corresponds to a maximum braking distance of the train.
 24. The method of claim 18, wherein the train at its tip, defined by the direction of travel, is equipped with an additional OTU and when the direction of travel changes, the additional OTU is recognized by the electronic data processing system as the OTU at the end of the train.
 25. The method of claim 18, wherein in addition to the identification, the OTU sends the polygon identification, the direction of travel of the train and a status of a power supply to the electronic data processing system.
 26. The method of claim 18, wherein for a given clocking of the position determination, the OTU determines a minimum length of the polygon by a maximum speed of the train and a maximum length of the polygon is defined by the length of the section block for which the polygon is stored in the OTU.
 27. The method of claim 18, wherein a width of a first polygon corresponds at least to a maximum width of the train and in a case of a multi-track railway section, the width of the first polygon is dimensioned in such a way that the first polygon is free of overlaps from further third polygons which are stored in the OTU for further tracks.
 28. The method of claim 18, wherein the identification of a second polygon causes the second section block assigned to the second polygon to be reported by the electronic data processing system as being occupied or blocked and the first section block previously traveled by the train is reported as free by the electronic data processing system.
 29. The method of claim 18, wherein a train integrity is determined by the OTU changing from one section block to another section block.
 30. The method of claim 18, wherein the OTU and the additional OTU are synchronized by the electronic data processing system in order to calculate a distance between the OTU and the additional OTU in the electronic data processing system and to send a change in a distance between the OUT and the additional OUT.
 31. The method of claim 30, wherein the OTU and the additional OTU are synchronized by the electronic data processing system to calculate a distance between the OTU and the additional OTU in the electronic data processing system and to send a change in a distance between the OUT and the additional OUT caused by a coupling breakage of the train to the train's electronic data processing system.
 32. The method of claim 18, wherein a start and an end of an area of a section block at which the GNSS reception of the OTU is not sufficient is stored in the OTU with a start polygon or an end polygon and that an area is considered as passed through when the polygon identification of the end polygon is received by the OTU via the electronic data processing system.
 33. The method of claim 18, wherein the car identifications of the individual cars of a train are transmitted to the OTU in order to be able to send a relevant position and time of individual cars to the electronic data processing system.
 34. The method of claim 33, wherein the car identification is linked to at least one freight document of the respective car.
 35. The method of claim 18, wherein polygons stored in the OTU contain information on positioning of railway signals, and positions of the railway signals can be visualized in the driver's compartment of the train. 